ABSTRACT
In the mid-19th century, a time when scientific inquiry engaged some of the best minds in Europe, the medical field was producing increasing numbers of trained graduates who were attracted to research and teaching rather than to solely clinical pursuits. The study of nervous system morphology appealed to many of them, especially in Germany, with progressively improved microscopes, new fixative agents, sectioning and staining methods, and a relentless curiosity about how the brain functions. The dominance of Germany in those developments established specialized postdoctoral training at one or more European universities as a prerequisite to a successful career in brain or behavioral sciences among the freshly professionalized ranks in America. Exposure to the laboratories, clinics, and lectures of preeminent figures was highly influential in shaping the direction of the neurological sciences in America.
